1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to granulated ornamentation on a workpiece, more particularly to a method of granule arranging in the granulation process. The invention also relates to a method of creating stone mountings on the granulated workpiece. The method permits using small round stones as another component beside metal granules in composing the granulated pattern.
2. Description of the Related Art
Granulation is a metalwork process wherein small granules or round spheres of metal are joined to a metal base by fusion welding. In true granulation, a granule retains its complete spherical form, and only a minimally visible joining fillet exists. Some visible fillets must exist in order for the bond to be strong enough to function.
Granules in granulated jewelry can be disposed on base metal in any number and form by applying an organic glue solution. After the glue has dried, heat is applied, and fusion occurs at each contact point or surface between granule and granule, and between granule and base surface. There are basic granule arrangement and growth pattern systems commonly used by granulation artists. The easiest patterns to be arranged are those geometrical shapes formed by interlocking granules.
Because of liquid surface tension, when a group of granules remain in a wetted surrounding, they tend to automatically interlock with each other, thereby requiring half as much effort when arranging these interlocking granule patterns. These patterns remain securely in position on the base surface throughout the process of granule arranging because of stronger bonding strength created by the increased number of contact points for each granule when granules interlock.
While the surrounding is wet again at the stage of fusing (due to the liquefied joint at each contact point), interlocking granule patterns still stay on the base surface securely. Non-interlocking singles and single lines of granules are difficult to be arranged on the base surface, and they often fall off or shift during the process of fusing. Because of the fact that round spheres roll and tend to attract each other, granulation artists have to fight the attractive forces from each granule in order to form them in singles and single lines, and because there are not enough contact points for each granule in single and single lines of granules to create enough binding strength, once the patterns are formed, artists still worry that single and single lines of granules might be dislocated while the joints liquefied at the stage of fusing.
Because of all these difficulties, most artists avoid using single and single line granulated patterns in their designs unless there are supportive structures created next to the singles and single lines of the granules. This is why traditional granulation has very limited ornamental surface design. A few artists try to do it by gluing each granule after the previous one is dry, which is very time-consuming. Some artists use a scriber to scribe lines on the base surface prior to arranging granules, but lines made by the scriber are only deep enough for very small granules.
There exists a need for a method of securing granules of various sizes on a base surface when arranging singles and single lines of granules for various patterns.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,594,901, issued to David on Jul. 22, 2003, discloses a metal ornamentation method. The method includes the steps of obtaining an object having a metal surface, making a pattern on the surface, creating holes or negative space on the metal surface and filling the holes or negative spaces with a second metal by melting or hammering the metal in. Once the second metal is inserted into the holes or negative space a beading tool must be used to shape the second metal into beads, domes or other shapes.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,747,259, issued to Brioux on May 29, 1956, describes a method of forming a ring having metal inserts embedded within the ring. The method comprises drilling a hole in a ring blank, displacing the metal by a punch tool, and placing a metal insert in the deformed hole having the same configuration as the punch tool. The metal insert used should have the same hardness as the blank metal. U.S. Pat. No. 2,140,396, issued to Whitaker on Dec. 13, 1938, discloses a method for pressing an ornamented metal onto another metal, such as a ring, brooch or other metal.
Some methods of making jewelry involve embedding a gemstone into a metal where the gemstone is supported by creating a seat in the metal or by cutting notches into the gem so that it can be supported by the metal. U.S. Pat. No. 4,392,289, issued to Michaud on Jul. 12, 1983, discloses a method of setting gems in precious metal using a lost wax process. The method uses a gemstone seat having undercut grooves disposed in sidewalls of the seat to hold and set the gemstone. The method requires the gemstone to be snapped into a wax model prior to conducting investment casting. U.S. Pat. No. 5,881,795, issued to Uptain on Mar. 16, 1999, describes a method for making jewelry by casting metal around a gem. This method precludes the need for making seats, undercuts and using wax.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,003,678, issued to Oganesyan on Apr. 2, 1991, discloses a method of making a channel set ring. The method uses a machine with different attachments to create a groove and depressions on the bottom of the groove to hold diamonds. Wax is disposed within the groove to hold the diamond as the rim of the groove is pushed inward over the diamond to hold the diamond in place. The wax is removed by melting to produce the final product.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,690,477, issued to Haimoff on Nov. 25, 1997, discloses a method for invisibly setting jewelry. The method requires grooves be cut into the gem just under the girdle to provide support and hold the gem in place in an article of metal jewelry. The lost-wax method is used to set the jewelry. U.S. Pat. No. 4,738,240, issued to Aich on Apr. 19, 1988, and European Patent Number 201,394, published on Apr. 19, 1988, disclose a process for cutting dihedron notches below the girdle of a diamond to provide an invisible mounting.
Some methods have been developed for texturing metals to impart a decorative effect on a surface of the metal. U.S. Pat. No. 4,105,812, issued to Campbell, Jr. on Aug. 8, 1978, describes a decorative surface finish for ferrous metals. U.S. Patent Publication Number 2003/0177788, and U.S. Patent Publication Number 2003/0177753, both published on Sep. 25, 2003, and U.S. Patent Publication Number 2003/0226374, published on Dec. 11, 2003, disclose a decorative, textured jewelry surface. The surface is created by a method used to form patterns of intersecting grooves that reflect light.
Jewelry having removable or interchangeable gemstones are disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication Number 2003/0221452, published on Dec. 4, 2003 (a jewel holding an interchangeable gemstone) and U.S. Pat. No. 2,600,319, issued to Postel on Jun. 10, 1952 (removable jewel earring).
The art of jewelry design has produced a plethora of ornamental designs for setting and arranging jewelry. U.S. Des. Pat. No. 335,471, issued to Coleman on May 11, 1993; U.S. Des. Pat. No. 386,443, issued to Itzkowitz on Nov. 18, 1997; U.S. Des. Pat. No. 387,300, issued to Morrison on Dec. 9, 1997; U.S. Des. Pat. 390,151, issued to Blum et al. on Feb. 3, 1998; U.S. Des. Pat. No. 409,518, issued to Ho on May 11, 1999; U.S. Des. Pat. No. 430,061, issued to Chan on Aug. 29, 2000; U.S. Des. Pat. No. 462,289, issued to Wolf on Sep. 3, 2002; U.S. Des. Pat. No. 483,687, issued to Chan on Dec. 16, 2003; U.S. Des. Pat. No. 485,509, issued to Shagalov on Jan. 20, 2004; U.S. Pat. No. 5,099,660, issued to Dostourian on Mar. 31, 1992 (gem setting that uses large and small stones to hold gems and thereby eliminating the need to use prongs); U.S. Pat. No. 6,591,633, issued to Pachauer on Jul. 15, 2003; U.S. Patent Publication Number 2002/0112505, published on Aug. 22, 2002; U.S. Patent Publication Number 2003/0046955, published on Mar. 13, 2003 (jewelry arrangement using prongs to hold gemstones); U.S. Pat. No. 1,238,721, issued to Birnbaum et al. on Aug. 28, 1917; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,080,317, issued to Jaeckel on May 11, 1937 all show ornamental designs of settings or arrangements of jewelry.
Other methods for ornamenting and decorating jewelry or other articles are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,737,333, issued to Rivelis on Nov. 26, 1929, (method of making steel ornaments); U.S. Pat. No. 3,762,883, issued to Shepard et al. on Oct. 2, 1973 (discloses a steel substrate coated with gold or copper or brass which is then coated with zinc); U.S. Pat. No. 6,146,723, issued to Arends on Nov. 14, 2000 (a method of enhancing the appearance of a gem stone which uses colored transparent alcohol based ink to coat the substrate of the stone); U.S. Des. Pat. No. 434,995, issued to Harkness on Dec. 12, 2000 (a ring); U.S. Des. Pat. No. 440,179, issued to Morelle on Apr. 10, 2001 (a ring); U.S. Design Pat. No. 401,884, issued to Gruosi on Dec. 1, 1998 (earrings); and U.S. Design Pat. No. 447,716, issued to Itzknowitz on Sep. 11, 2001 (jewelry).
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus, the method for metal ornamentation of the present invention solving the aforementioned problems is desired.